Questions, Hard Answers and Reminders
by Debeo Possum Volo
Summary: Hermione is forced to cover hard subjects with her little daughter when Rose sees the scar on her arm.


It was a quiet day. The sun was setting and brilliant streaks of red ad pink were beginning to colour the sky. Hermione watched an orange tinged cloud make its lazy way across the sky. She smiled and closed her book, pushing the ground with her feet and causing her rocking chair to move. Ron was putting Hugo to bed and Rose was reading the Tales of Beetle the Bard. (Not all of them of-course) Rose was a very mature six year-old but she was still young-much too young to be reading some of those tales.

Pushing her sleeves back up Hermione went to pick up her book when she was prodded in the arm.

"What's that mummy?" asked Rose who had ceased prodding her and was now pointing at Hermione's arm. Hermione didn't have to look to know what she was talking about. Her hand instinctively went to her scar. Rose looked at her questioningly.

"It's a reminder."

"For what mummy? It says m..uh..D…B…luh…D-Mudblood!" Hermione tried to keep her face kind but inside she was lost for words. Rose knew about the battle and Voldemort but she couldn't begin to understand what it was like and nor should she.

"Never say that word." Hermione said. Rose paled, Hermione's tone was much harsher then she had meant. "That word is a bad word for a muggle born sweetie"

Rose crumpled her brow in confusion. "Why is that bad mummy?"

How could Hermione explain the prejudice that used to be relatively commonplace in the wizarding world, the belief that people were superior to other based solely on parentage, the horrible insults, the way it needed to be defended, how could you explain something like that?

"That word it means dirty blood, impurity." Hermione could see Rose trying to understand, her innocent little girl trying to understand the extent of wizard ignorance and cruelty. "It is a word some people use for people who are muggleborn. They think because they are born from muggles they are impure.

"That's not true is it mummy?" Rose was staring at her. She had never seen her mum so worked up about anything. Hermione never looked so serious. Her mum got mad when Hugo or herself were naughty or when her dad apparated near muggles. Her mum yelled sometimes too and cried when she was sad but even when she was serous she was never this serious. The only time she looked like this was when the whole family came over and the adults talked quietly and looked at old photos.

"No! Rose it is the opposite of true! If you ever hear anyone saying it tell them that's not right and leave unless they apologize immediately! Everyone is the same! No-one is impure! You know this Rose, werewolves, merfolk, centaurs, house elves, muggle born, half blood, full blood, squibs and muggles, must all be worthy of the same respect! You must never forget that!" Hermione stared her daughter in the eyes. Rose nodded very seriously.

Rose remembered a fight her mum and dad had got into. Her mum had launched her third house elves rights campaign. House Elves already had the right to request wages and freedom. They could breed without permission and could have sick days. With the passing of this third law, House Elves could buy residences and share residences with humans as equals-but that wasn't the big part. With the passing of the third law all "beings" or magical creatures classified as "beast" that was deemed technically a "being" including but not limited to merfolk, centaurs, goblins and house elves could purchase, carry and utilize a wand. They could also receive magical education and jobs.

Rose remembered her father saying he didn't want house elves going to school with his children. Her mother had flown into a rage saying that her father was exactly the type of person who had made those creatures lives so miserable. Rose didn't see the problem with it. Her mum was furious. She had though Ron didn't support her. She was so mad that Uncle Ginny and Harry came over. Her mum got the same type of anger in her eyes when she was mad at Rose's dad that one terrifying time and when she gave her speeches as she did right now. Rose had never been on the receiving end of that anger so she kept nodding long after Hermione's eyes had left hers.

Hermione looked round at her daughter who was still nodding. She tapped her daughter on the cheek. Rose gave a little jump.

"Its okay sweetie." Said Hermione, "I'm not mad at you. I know you understand."

Rose breathed a sigh of relief, thankful her mum wasn't mad. She gathered up the courage to ask one final question.

"If its such a bad word, why is it a reminder on your arm?"

Hermione was proud of her clever daughter. She was so much smarter then most of the kids in her class. (Hermione had signed her up for grade school and told her not to talk about wizards.) She was insightful and knew how to ask the best questions to get her answers, a trait, which could be a problem as it was now.

"It's a reminder that was put there by force not choice. It is a bad word but it is a lying one. The things it means aren't true. It's a reminder that there will always be bad people out there. People who will always use this word or one like it. A bad reminder maybe but because it reminds me that there are bad people, it reminds me that if I keep my head up high and help others to do the same, maybe one day everyone will see that word as a lie."

Rose thought her mum was awfully smart and Hermione thought the same of her daughter. She saw Rose debating whether or not to ask her about the scar being put there by force, but instead of asking perhaps she saw that the question would've been met by silence so she didn't. Rose remained quiet as she thought about what her mum had said, and then, without warning she stood up and gave her mum a hug.

Hermione felt warmth flow through her body as her daughter hugged her, chasing the coldness the reminder of her scar brought.

When Ron came down the stairs from putting Hugo to bed, he was going to surprise them and jump out from behind the stairwell but he saw his wife and daughter hugging in the rocking chair, a moment of peace and calm that seemed to draw the need to speak from the air. So instead, he sat on Rose's cushion and placed her book to the side, joining them in watching as the pink sky slowly faded to black.

My first authors note! It would really make my day if someone were to review. I read all your reviews and respond when I can.

Kayla: (I know its you who wrote that one guest review.) thanks for the continued support! I think it's funny you were on fanfiction and just found my story and didn't know it was mine.

Obviously there are no reviews for this story yet. If you read this you are awesome! You really are! You have no idea how much you make my day!


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